Franchising is a great way to embrace your entrepreneurial spirit and become a business owner. Maybe you've dreamed of becoming your own boss, setting your own schedule, managing and building your own team and running daily operations of a business into which you've poured your hard work, time and passion. It takes significant research and preparation to arrive at the decision to open your own business, then more hard work and dedication to make your dreams of business ownership become reality.
When you've decided to pursue your dream of becoming a business owner, you'll have many options to consider, like factors that make a good franchise opportunity.
What Makes a Good Franchise Opportunity?
Before deciding on what type of business to open, you'll want to consider your options for franchise ownership. You'll need to conduct a thorough evaluation of each opportunity, reviewing details like financial performance, brand reputation, franchise cost, training, corporate support, the existing franchise community within that system and how the franchise opportunity fits into your own life and aligns with your business goals and values.
Why You Should Consider Franchising
At some point in your journey to entrepreneurship, you'll decide between opening a business from scratch and creating it all for yourself or investing in a franchise system with a lot of the details regarding operations and brand usage already created for you. Because of the way franchise systems are created, franchising takes some of the guesswork out of building a business. Instead of conducting market research for branding or building a national or regional advertising strategy, for example, those portions of running the business are typically included as part of the franchise agreement, leaving owners more time for operations and growth.
When you buy a franchise, you'll operate under a recognizable brand name that provides immediate credibility in the eyes of potential customers. As soon as a location opens, customers will be able to expect the same experience no matter the location. While a new brand may have awareness challenges and need extra time getting the word out, a franchise brand already has that brand strength to count on.
Why The UPS Store is One of the Best Franchise Opportunities
For over 40 years, The UPS Store has helped many entrepreneurs open their own small businesses. Several aspects of the franchise model make it a great business opportunity, and certainly one to consider if you're thinking about opening a business.
Awards and Accolades
The UPS Store continues to rank as one of the best franchise opportunities year after year, being consistently recognized as an industry leader for world-class training, trusted support and national reputation. In 2022 alone, The UPS Store has been recognized with numerous awards:
- 2022 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 – Ranked #2
- 2022 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Postal and Business Centers – Ranked #1
- 2022 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Best of the Best – Best of the Best Franchise
- 2022 Franchise Direct Top 100 – Ranked #17
- Entrepreneur's 2022 Fastest-Growing Franchises Ranking for U.S. & Canada – Ranked #25
Prior years are no different regarding accolades and awards, with The UPS Store being recognized as a top franchise for veterans, ranking highly in number of multi-unit franchisees, being one of the best franchise brands, and a top franchise under $150k. In addition to Entrepreneur Magazine, organizations who review franchise opportunities and rankings include Franchise Gator, Franchise Direct, Franchising.com and Franchise Times.
Ranking for over 30 consecutive years in the postal and business services category on the Franchise 500 list, The UPS Store is proud to be a top franchise opportunity and continues to evolve its business model to meet the ever-changing needs of its retail owners and the overall business landscape.
Training
Another aspect that makes The UPS Store one of the best franchise opportunities of 2022 is the training involved. A comprehensive, four-phase training program gives new franchise owners the tools, strategies and knowledge they'll need to launch and grow their business, along with all necessary resources to train their staff confidently and effectively.
Phase 1 involves web-based training and over 40-45 hours, new owners get a strong foundation of store operations knowledge and business acumen prior to beginning the In-Store Experience 1 training.
Phase 2 focuses on store operations, technical systems and business acumen, spread across five days and 45 hours. This training is conducted in a The UPS Store Certified Training Center.
Phase 3 is a ten-day interactive workshop that includes marketing, operations, sales and financial management. With 90 hours dedicated to this phase, it’s a hands-on, intensive training that focuses on the equipment, software, techniques and in-center production to manage and grow print services in your new location.
Phase 4 of franchise training is five days (40-45 hours) focused on reviewing what you've learned regarding store operations, technical systems and print services. Conducted at a The UPS Store Certified Training Center, this is the last step to completing training and preparing to open your doors.
Business Services
Franchise owners with The UPS Store provide a range of business service solutions that help individual consumers and business consumers alike. Some of the products and services offered by The UPS Store include:
- Professional Printing Services including letterhead, posters, flyers, business cards and direct mail
- Direct Mail Services
- Mailbox Services
- The UPS Store Certified Packing Experts® who can pack and ship everything from letters to heavy or large items
- In-Store Services such as computer access, notary services, passport and ID photos, shredding, office supplies, mailing supplies and design services.
- Small Business Services
The UPS Store is a valuable resource for small business owners throughout the community, serving as a trusted partner to provide resources and services as an extension of the small business's team. Understanding the challenges that small businesses face, the cutting-edge technology and high-quality solutions offered by The UPS Store help meet their needs and overcome pain points, increasing efficiency and helping them grow.
Community
When retail owners at The UPS Store help other business owners, that builds a sense of community which continues to grow as more opportunities and challenges arise. Similarly, when consumers can consistently count on their local The UPS Store to help, they're likely to become loyal to the brand and even recommend it to others based on their own experiences.
Many franchise owners at The UPS Store contribute even more by giving back to their communities in the form of donations, volunteer time and other forms of philanthropy. Through the brand's core principles of reliability, commitment, innovation, community stewardship and environmental sustainability, franchisees seek to serve with more than logistics and packing supplies. The UPS Store partners with the Toys for Tots Literacy Program to support childhood literacy across the country, giving children the tools and resources to succeed with hopes of a better and brighter future.
There's also a tight-knit sense of community among franchise owners. When challenges arise, retail owners can call on the network of other owners to gain insight and assistance in solving them. It's also a great means to share successes and network with like-minded individuals who care about helping their communities.
Interested in learning more about the franchise opportunity with The UPS Store? Contact our franchise development team to discuss the possibility of owning your own location.
